Journalists in the North West cancelled a second day of strike action that was due to take place today after the company informed staff it was ‘pushing ahead’ with redundancies.
National Union of Journalists members who work for Newquest North-West titles voted for industrial action after the company announced the job losses at the titles earlier this month.
The proposals will see seven job lost across the 12 newspapers in the group, a move that the company has blamed on the economic downturn and one that it says will protect the long term interests of the newspapers.
Titles affected include the Warrington Guardian, Northwich Guardian, Sale and Altrincham Messenger, St Helens Star and the Wirral Globe.
Last Wednesday around 40 journalists took to the picket line over the cuts and a second day of action was planned for today in the hope that management would agree to high level talks.
A chapel spokesman said: “The redundancies went ahead on Friday. We called off today’s strike action because of appeals that are going on. We have warned them there might be another if our requests aren’t met.”
The spokesman said the union held talks with management on Thursday. They were then informed that the company were pushing ahead with the redundancies.
Two of the seven jobs that are set to go are on a voluntary basis and one reporter got a job at another newspaper.
It is believed that the other four other people have been told they will face compulsory redundancy and will now be expected to work their notice period.
Nicola Priest, group editor for the titles did, not wish to comment on the redundancies but has previously said it was disappointing that the chapel has decided to go on strike before the end of the consultation period and when ‘meaningful dialogue’ had been on-going.
Union members have said say they fear for the future because of increased workloads that the cuts will create.
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There must be some way other than strikes. All they’ve done is lost a bit of their salary in return for nothing.
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I have to agree with Observer. Very sadly the strikers lose money, get stressed and then get shrugged off by Newsquest who have felt slight pinpricks, if that, from the strikes. Best to find jobs elsewhere and then leave Newsquest to stew.
Trouble is most strikers are young and think their strikes will bite the company hard. The company makes even more money from witheld wages.
I’m just glad I was a journalist for 40 years in happier times before retiring soon.
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The anti strike faction are always short on suggestions of ways to combat management attacks “other than strikes”.NUJ officials and members would be delighted to hear what they are. I’ve just come from a mass march and strike rally in Shropshire where 6500 council workers are threatened with redundancy if they don’t agree to a pay cut and much worse conditions. Guess what? The one day strike has finally brought a brutal management to the negotiating table. It doesn’t always work, of course, but then neither does living life on your knees. I don’t think Capt. Starlight or Observer are being malicious or contemptuous, but when have journalists struck when they’ve been presented with a viable alternative which actually works?
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